Yesterday, a friend discovered I had a license to carry concealed. He asked if I actually did. When I told him I did, he flipped out. He said I was crazy. He shouted only nut jobs do. He then really went off after he found out I was an NRA member. He told me to go live in Montana and join the militia. I told him the following story. Two years ago my daughter sat on the floor of a locked classroom at Virginia Tech wondering if a gunman would come crashing through the door. I was on the cell with her at the time. Luckily, she survived, but acquaintances of hers didn't. From that point on I vowed my family and I weren't going to be victims. I had guns before, but not my license to carry. My friend understood, but still didn't agree. Am I nuts? No, I'm prepared and realistic.

05-10-2009, 08:35 AM

Todd

I've got a friend like that. He's raging anti-gun and most probably thinks I'm a total nut. He's tried to get into it with me a couple times but I've shut him down and refused to discuss it as he's so closed minded that he will never see my point of view. If he found out I have my CCW he'd flip and that would probably end our relationship, but oh well, the protection of my family and myself comes first, not someone's feelings. I have another friend in the same circle of friends (we all went to high school together) that shoots and just applied for his CCW, so we joke about not telling the other guy things when we talk about guns.

05-10-2009, 10:39 AM

Bisley

If he is the kind of friend worth salvaging, challenge him to go shooting with you.

Start him out with something low recoil, make sure he has very good ear protection, and show him how to grip the gun. Put the target at 5 yards, so he can hit something right away, and let him shoot all he will. Sometimes, this is all it takes to turn someone around.

I had an experience a few months ago, in which I was introducing a 73 year old man, from Holland, and his 40 year old son, to handguns. Neither had ever even held a gun of any kind. The 40 year old was a radical liberal, and his father was also very much anti-gun, having lived through the Nazi occupation in his early youth.

But, they were very nice people, and the father wanted to experience 'Texas,' with all its variations, so naturally he had to shoot. They were both so completely ignorant of firearms that I had to stand practically against them, so I could 'wrap them up' if they tried to turn around or point the gun in an unsafe direction.

Before we were done, they both had shot 9mm, .357 Magnum, .45 Auto, .30-06, and a 12 gauge shotgun, and the older man was so gleeful he had to call his friends in Holland, right then, and tell them all about it. We finished the day by drinking gallons of beer, something they were both very good at, and joking about their experiences of the day.

I can't say that I converted them, because shooting handguns is not easy for a person to do in Holland. But, I do know that I changed their minds about the motivation of people who like guns. They both recognized the sporting aspect of it, and whether or not either would ever defend himself with a gun, I can't say...but either of them does now have the ability to do so, if they wanted.

05-10-2009, 11:28 AM

Pistolero

According to my wife we're nuts. It seems only nut jobs and heros are prepared for the worst. I'm still a nut job.

05-10-2009, 02:37 PM

DevilsJohnson

Your friend yelled at you. Told you to leave because you were not like him? And you're nuts?

hmmmmmm

I guess we all should assimilate?:smt083

05-10-2009, 02:55 PM

Growler67

"When seconds count, help is only minutes away."

When you need help in the direst of circumstances, are you willing to put that responsibility SOLEY on those that are not there at the time and hope that they arrive in time to actually be of any assitance? I am afraid that your "friend" is the one who is nuts if he thinks that bad guys follow laws or Utopian Ideals of conduct. Does your "friend" KNOW that most CCW carriers have been checked for any Domestic Violence charges and/or convictions; DUI/DWI; mental instability? DOes your "friend" KNOW that most criminals have NOT gone through such a screening process before (likely) illegally posessing a firearm that will very likely be used in the commision of a crime when they feel that a helpless enough victim has been identified and is confident enough that they are unable/unwilling to defend themselves and/or are not in a position/location where assitance or other help is likely from 3rd party/people nearb?

I have chosen that my personal protection is MY responsibility and to such and end, I have a CCW (legally) and a license to carry such. I practice AND train as often as I can not only on shooting targets, but the act of drawing so that I may be as proficient as I can be if the time ever comes that I need to employ it. I am able to clear my clothing without snags to waste time on my draw fumbling with my holster/firearm/clothing and ALWAYS look for the advantages of cover when I am walking around shopping or on errands or the like whether I am carrying or not. When I carry I ALWAYS have my CHP as well as my cel phone on me as well.

I carry a gun because cops are too heavy. Your friend carries a Utopian complex that is self defeating in the real world.

05-10-2009, 03:20 PM

TheReaper

Yes I am nuts or prepared or whatever you want to call it.

05-10-2009, 03:32 PM

DevilsJohnson

Funny but most of us nuts as we were called a few years ago are now called prepared. Except for the occasional sheeple that think that they are safe in their suburbs.:smt082

05-10-2009, 05:23 PM

knoxrocks222

i love being nuts!!!!!!

05-10-2009, 05:34 PM

Steve2112

All I have to say is if that type of behavior is considered normal, I want to be as far as possible away from normal.

05-11-2009, 01:14 PM

jimmy

I face the same dilemma with my friends in the social circle..At first I used to be shy about it and used to hide it, then I took a more positive role and started inviting my friends to a shootout at the range..I got now two shooting partners. However, now I barely find ammo for myself, so I stopped the invitation routine. And all m y friends know that it is a personal decision for me to practice the sport of shooting. Some of them do golf, I do shooting, whether handguns or clay shooting, that's my sport.

05-11-2009, 02:42 PM

clanger

....just say no....

......and refuse to have a battle of wit's with an unarmed person. :smt082

Good topic.

Being prepared and nuts are two different things.

Having a firearm and knowing how to use it to protect your family?
Prepared.

Blowing bubbles at the top of your lungs because someone else is prepared and you are not and are ranting and totally uninformed? That's nuts.

Just mentioning the "G" word out here can get folk into a hate-scented lather.

It's pretty funny really watching someone so clueless, yet, so educated on the matter (on every matter for that matter) go on and on how dangerous guns are, how much better society would be blah, blah, etc., as you intently watch silently out of respect....... while they are trying to negotiate the driveway in a Prius, chatting on the phone and fishing for the last fry in the McDogg'y's bag with a youngster in the passenger seat not buckled down playing with the radio.

Have fun beating back an attacker with your I-Pod, Mrs. Clueless and Above the Law.

05-11-2009, 03:10 PM

JD413

I haven't even bought my first gun yet and it seems like people assume we are. In the past week I've mentioned to a few friends I was in the process of getting my permit and was pretty much attacked with why and do you really need a gun etc.

I consider myself liberal, but I still understand why we have the 2nd amendment. I don't think it's right that people get offended when someone chooses to exercise their rights.

05-11-2009, 03:26 PM

Todd

Quote:

Originally Posted by JD413

I haven't even bought my first gun yet and it seems like people assume we are. In the past week I've mentioned to a few friends I was in the process of getting my permit and was pretty much attacked with why and do you really need a gun etc. .

As someone who grew up and spent a huge portion of my adult life in MA, believe me when I say to just get used to it up there.

05-11-2009, 10:25 PM

lostsoul

What is it in people that know you as a sensible responsible adult to think differently of you because you take control and the responsibility of protecting them,your family and yourself?I do not understand !Anybody that would berate me because I do the right thing,the responsible thing as in owning and practiceing with firearms,has no place in my life.If they can't see the need and the basic meaning of the 2nd. Amendment then I feel sorry for them and there is no argument.
I will not put my faith in 911,I don't have that kind of time in a crisis.No doubt,these heroic men in blue are heros of the highest caliber,but,will they get there in time?I will not risk my family nor myself to find out.
I don't give a crap what these "Antis" think.Life is too short,lets not make it any shorter !Only my humble opinion.

05-12-2009, 08:39 AM

tekhead1219

Wow...it's great living in a gun friendly state. I'm sure there are people here with those attitudes here (probably immigrants from the northeast or west coast), I just haven't ran across any yet. Gotta love Texas.:smt023:anim_lol:

05-12-2009, 09:18 AM

MLB

It doesn't help the vast majority of responsible gun owners that a few Dirty Harry wannabes are the most visible to society.

05-12-2009, 09:23 AM

Bisley

Quote:

Originally Posted by lostsoul

I don't give a crap what these "Antis" think.Life is too short,lets not make it any shorter !Only my humble opinion.

I felt the same way, in the beginning, and still do, to a certain extent.

But I have discovered that these people have no 'depth' to their arguments. Everything is superficial. If you don't get pissed while they are spouting all their 'canned' rhetoric, and just make your own logical arguments, they are lost...because there is no logical argument to be made for denying a law-abiding citizen the right to carry a gun, for self-defense. All the statistics are on your side, so the only argument they can make is the emotional one, and the only way they can defend against the facts are by selecting that one in a 1,000 or so cases where it all went wrong, and blowing it all out of proportion, as shrilly, and loudly as possible.

You can't win an argument with an idiot, but some of those folks who come on strong against guns are actually intelligent and honest people, and that type can be won over with a logical argument, made by a calm person. If you find one like that, take him (or her) out to shoot, and make sure it is an enjoyable experience for them.

05-12-2009, 09:51 AM

clanger

Quote:

Originally Posted by MLB

It doesn't help the vast majority of responsible gun owners that a few [inner city, degenerate scumbags and illegals that are protected by the law better than it's citizen's are posing as high-rollers and 'Gangstuh's' are represented favorably by the media who spoon feeds college educated ignoramises glued to tubes that have nothing better to do than whine online the mantra that guns wil kill kill KILL! their babies to liberal bleeding hearts that they are simply misunderstood when committing 3 felonies back-to-back] are the most visible to society.

Fixed.

05-12-2009, 12:08 PM

lostsoul

I'm not a dirty harry type,I just don't waste time on fools and idiots. In this past year,I have three converts under my belt but some people,you just can't reach.I've got three new shooting buddys but with the scarce
ammo,did I do the right thing,Hmmmmm..?

When it's worth it,I stand my ground but a man has got to know when to walk away.
As Clint would say,"a man's got to know his limitations"......!

05-12-2009, 04:35 PM

nolexforever

its a double standard like anything else in the world. people have this negative impression that gun owners are gonna commit a felony the second they buy a gun.

another reason i didnt tell anybody i have a gun for protection/sport shooting. dont need to put up with their narrow-minds and "why" questions.

05-12-2009, 04:41 PM

clanger

walk softly....

Yep- almost no one knows I have guns. For a few reasons. All of them good.

05-12-2009, 07:41 PM

TrapperJohn

The odd thing is that they really have no idea how much safer they are because of ccw... everytime a carrier stands his ground and takes out a bad guy, those who call us crazy are just a little safer.

05-12-2009, 10:22 PM

Dougsboy

Well, if having a ccl and carrying a weapon is the definition of being a "nut" then I am the craziest nut you'll ever run across.

05-12-2009, 10:26 PM

Trailgunner

Well I sadly live in Mass. so this place is full of anti's, hey we still have Kennedy & Kerry here! People that know me know that I've carried for more than 30 years. Most also know I've been a cop for just as long. Regardless; I still try to explain to them that I ALONE am responsible for the safety of myself and my family. That I ALONE will have the balls to do it and see it through if and when the time comes. When I ask another father/husband what he's gonna do if they are at a Wally-world or MacD's and it all goes to shit if they can safe their family they usually shrink away like all the other sheeple. I carry 24/7/365 no matter where I go. Always a gun and usually a backup knife or 2! Just my 2 cents. My wife is also in the proccess of getting her LTC, and when my daughter is old enough she'll get one too.